A fable

[Pab Sungenis]

http://cnx.com/?p=1331

Earlier today I wrote about what I see as one of the main problems causing the “enthusiasm gap” this year. It proved to be a little too much for some people’s heads to take, so instead I’m going to rephrase it in a way that hopefully you’ll find a little less controversial, but I hope no less offensive to those who deserve the offense.

Let me tell you all a fable. Let’s call it “The Hippo and the Birds.”

Once upon a time, the Hippo decided that it wanted to fly. This is not an unreasonable thing, for many creatures dream of flying even if they can’t. The Hippo, however, was clever, and realized that there was a way it could fulfill its wishes. He built a huge platform that would support his weight when lifted off the ground. Now all he would need were birds willing to carry him, so he went to the birds.

The Hippo was an elegant speaker, and he convinced many of the birds of the forest to join together under his platform and lift it up. But his words weren’t enough, so he decided to find out why some of the birds weren’t willing to help him.

He first visited a family of Golden Crowned Sparrows. “Mr. Sparrow,” he asked, “will you and your family help bear my platform on your backs, so that I will be able to fly?”

“I would love to, but I’m afraid I don’t have time. I have to go forage for food for my family, and that food is getting harder to find all the time.”

“No problem,” the Hippo said, “once I’m up in the air, I will be able to help you look for food. My eyes are much larger than yours so I can do a better job of it.” So the Golden Crowned Sparrows agreed and took their place under the platform.

Next the Hippo went to a family of starlings and asked the same favor of them. “We would like to,” one Starling said, “but our nest is too small to hold our whole family. We need to gather materials to build a new nest.”

“No problem,” the Hippo said, “once I’m up in the air, I’ll be able to help you find new material easier than you can.” So the Starlings agreed and took their place under the platform.

Next he went to a family of Loons. “We would like to, but all of the other birds laugh at us and shame us. They don’t want us to be around them.”

“No problem,” the Hippo said, “there is room for everyone under my platform. I will insist that the other birds treat you with respect.” So the loons agreed, and joined the others under the platform.

The Hippo then visited the Thrushes, the Chickadees, and the Pheasants, and one by one offered them everything they asked for. Finally, he had enough birds underneath him to lift him off the ground and fly him high into the sky.

As he soared on his platform, the Hippo congratulated himself on being the smartest animal of them all for coming up with his scheme. He marveled at the views before him and was awed with the beauty of creation.

After about an hour in the air, the Sparrows spoke up. “Sir? You promised to help us find food! We are so hungry. We need food now.”

“Food? You talk of food when there is so much beauty all around us? Go away. I have better things to look at than possible sources of food for you.”

So the Sparrows left. The platform immediately seemed heavier without them and sank slightly toward the ground.

As the Hippo scrambled to find his perch again, a family of Cowbirds flew by. “It looks like you need some help, Hippo. We Cowbirds have no nest of our own. We need other birds’ nests to live. Give us the nest that belongs to the starlings under your platform.”

“Done, it’s a deal!” the Hippo enthusiastically shouted.

“But that nest belongs to us! We built it.” the Starlings protested.

“How ungrateful of you,” the Hippo yelled. “That nest was built out of straw that was created by dead grass, and twigs off of trees, and paper and string discarded by people. The Cowbirds have as much right to all that material as you do.” So the Starlings flew off. But the cowbirds were so happy with their new nest that they forgot all about helping to lift the platform, and it sank even lower.

Next, two Hawks flew by. “My, my, Hippo,” the one Hawk said, “it looks like you’re having trouble staying off the ground. Would you like our help?”

“Yes. Join me.”

“But the Hawks are our mortal enemies,” said the Pheasants and the Chickadees, “they eat us.”

“Don’t be so divisive,” the Hippo insisted. “There’s room for everyone under my platform.”

So the Hawks flew underneath the platform and ate the pheasants and the chickadees. Then they flew away.

“But you said you would help,” the Hippo cried.

“No, we asked if you would like our help. We didn’t say that we would help!” And the Hawks darted off, their bellies full.

Finally, the Loons spoke up. “Hey, Hippo! You haven’t said anything to any of the birds that were left. When are you going to make them treat us with respect?”

“Oh, shut up, Loons,” the Hippo screamed. “No one likes you anyhow, and you’re never going to change that. I don’t need you under my platform anyhow.”

So the Loons left, and there was no longer enough lift under the platform to keep it elevated. The little birds who were left strained mightily to keep the Hippo in the air, but it was obviously a losing cause. Finally, a brood of vultures flew by and the Hippo called out to them. “Help me, please!” the Hippo called.

“Why should we do that? All we have to do now is wait for you to fall, which you obviously will do, and then we will feed off your carcass. And the carcasses of all the birds you crush under your platform.”

“But I want to stay in the air,” the Hippo pouted.

“Then you shouldn’t have chased away the sparrows, or the loons, or let the hawks eat the other little birds under you.”

So the Hippo fell, and the Vultures had a great feast.

The moral should be obvious. So think about it. Are you a loon? A starling? A chickadee or a pheasant? Or are you one of the little birds who is going to get crushed if we can’t convince the Hippo he needs the loons, the pheasants, the starlings, and chickadees?

Article Copyright 2010 Paul L. Sungenis, used with permission. May not be reproduced or excerpted without prior, explicit written permission.

[Motown_Johnny]

1. or are you a hawk, or a vulture, or a cowbird

[Pab Sungenis]

3. I'm a loon.

Thank you for asking.

[DonCoquixote]

2. Of course

The hippo should not have let the Hawks in..however, where your analogy falls flat is the fact that if the hippo cannot get off the ground, The right wing hunters will come with their guns and kill everyone. Granted, I would rather see the birds and hippo charge the hunters, but we are democrats, we do not unify at all.

[Pab Sungenis]

5. The Hippo is already in the air.

Let's get him to stop chasing the birds holding him up away.

[DonCoquixote]

9. Really

I would say that the hippo never got off the ground. Yes we won the election, but only because a bunch of independent birds lieterally could not swallow bush anymore, and the minute anything progressive happened, they flew off for cover. Let's also talk about the red and green birds, the ones that cheep "you know, if only FDR did not save capitalism, we would be socialist now" and "I am still glad I voted for Nader, even if Rush Limbaugh was happy I did too!" Again, I admit, he needed to not allow Rahm to shoo away the birds helping him, but but frankly, if he did that, the same people would be yelling at the hippo for not keeping the blue dog birds under the wing.

[Pab Sungenis]

10. "The minute anything progressive happened?"

Most of us are still waiting for ANYTHING progressive to happen.

[DonCoquixote]

11. OK let me clarify

When the very idea of doing things like let tax cuts for the rich expire, or support health care happened, that and that alone was considered way too progressive for many Americans. Simply put, the minute those were even discussed, the war machine was on, and steps were taken to ensure that the platform in your example became a pit. Now, can Obama have done a lot to stop that, yes, most notable by getting out of war, which would leave the GOP the task of defending why we should be in the mid east (not popular, at least until someone in Israel thought of a way for some "terrorist" to bomb us. However, as much as we would love to think the nation was ready for radical progressive change, it was not, and it will never be until progressives do one thing that either cannot or do not want to do, which is find out how to win 51 percent of the nation to their side.

In order to do that, they will need to learn to speak to rural types, and suburban types, people that many progressives (not all, but many) admit they cannot figure out. Want proof, go ahead an put up a thread supporting kicking the south out of the union, and see how many amens you get from the choir.

Let me repeat, am I excusing Obama's blunder on the wars, no! We should let the Chinese and Russians worry about that part of the world.

Any yes, he should have done the right thing for Gays, even if if would very well cost the mid terms. If nothing else, America would have to confront that they put themselves in the poorhouse just to hurt gay people. To paraphrase Daffy Duck, Americans are cowards, but they are GREEEDY little cowards.


Am I excusing the health care foul up, which should have produced at the barest of bare minimums, a strong public option. No, should single care have been invited to the table, yes, (even though no one will give up THEIR insurance)

However, do I have any illusions that a true progressive agenda would have given the rather weak willed independents a heart attack? No, considering they think Obama is actually liberal.

Do I think that abandoning the Democrats will help any of us birds stuck under the wreckage, no, because if we do not want to get squashed by the mob, we will need some sort of platform and organization, wrecked as it is. If we just say "we only support people we think we progressive enough, and ignore the fact we actually need to elect people, then we will be that 40 percent that gets ignored as much as the GOP wants. The only way to win is to convince that mushy 20 percent in the middle that they want to stand with us.

[Xipe Totec]

4. Nicely done. nt

[Pab Sungenis]

6. I considered replacing the Hawks with a pack of Blue Dogs

and adding an Elephant Bird in there somewhere, but thought that might be a little too obvious, and heaven forbid we make the anti-progressive bunch on here annoyed by pointing out their shortcomings in an obvious manner.

[notesdev]

7. There goes that hippo again

throwin' everyone under the platform

[Pab Sungenis]

8. At least I didn't include ponies in it.